Floating head and test ring



Jan. 3l, 1933. M. SACK FLOATING HEAD AND TEST RING Filed May 9, 193:2`

2 Sheets-Sheet VlWELv/N .SA CK mmm'aw Wma/ga.

Jan. 31, '1933. MjsAcK FLOATING HEAD AND TEST RING Filed May 9, 19:52 2 sheets-sheet 2 3mm/WOL MELV/N ,SACK

Patented Jan. 31, 1933 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFIFCE MELVIN SACK, F LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY, ASSIGNOR TO HENRY VOGT MACHINE C., t'

0F LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY, A CORPORATION 0F KENTUCKY I FLOATING HEAD AND TEST RING- Application led May 9, 1932. SerialNo. 610,254.

'10 tween the ouside of the tube bundle and the inside of the shell as small as possible. If the floating head of this type of heat exchanger were fastened to the tube sheet by means of bolts passing directly through between the '15 sheet and head, the outside dimension of the tube sheet must be large enough to accommodate the bolts; and the shell itself must be made considerable larger than the tube bundle in order to provide clearance for the tube sheet when the bundle is being withdrawn from the shell.

To overcome this defect, and to lessen the diameter of the floating tube sheet, it has been customary to use a split ring somewhat as shown in United States patent to Price, No. 1,809,910, June 16. 1931. This split ring construction allows the floating tube to be made of smaller diameter than would be possible if it were directly bolted to the floating head. Hooks have sometimes been used instead of split rings to secure the floating head to the tube sheet. The split ring and the hooks have a tendency to twist or spring when pressure is applied to the bolts for securing the floating head to the tube sheet; and this tendency makes it difficult to secure a tight ioint between the tube sheet and floating head. The main difficulty with the hook bolt idea is that the ybolt ordinarily is subject to deflection when pressure is applied tov effect atight joint between the floating head and tube sheet.

The main object of the present invention is to overcome these defects in the prior art by providing means for connecting the floating head tothe tube sheet which will permit the tube sheet to be small in diameter in comparison with prior constructions.

Another object of the invention is to eliminate theuse of split rings in heat exchangers of this character by providing hook bolts of a peculiar construction which are permanently attached to the floating head.

A further object of the invention is to provide a means for connecting a floating'head toI a tube sheet so that all the work of fastening, the floating head to the tube sheet is eected from the outside of the sheet.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a fastening means of this character, so constructed as to indicate when the parts 00 are properly arranged for fastening, and to prevent attachment of the shell cover unless and until the floating head and tube sheet are properly fastened to each other. i

Other objects of the invention will become apparent as the detailed description thereof proceeds.

In the drawings: Figure 1 is a fragmentary central verticall section taken through the floating head end of a heat exchanger of the character referred to; l

Figure 2 is a fragmentary central vertical section through a heat exchanger of the type'v4 described, and having a test ring secured to the tube sheet and the shell enclosing the same; i I

Figure 3 is a fragmentary section, to an enlarged scale, of part of the floating head,

and of a hook bolt forming an essential part 30 of the present invention;

Figure 4 is a fragmentary end elevation of the hook bolt shown in Figure 3; and f Figure 5 is a perspective View of the afore-t said bolt. 4 85 The heat exchanger shown in Figure 1 `of 4the drawings comprises the shell lfprovided .with an inlet 2 and an outlet 3. One end of the shell has suitably secured thereto a flange. 4 having bolt holes 5 suitablyformcd there- 90 in. The flange 4 is provided with a rabbet 6 forming a shoulder 7 which is adapted t0 fit into a machined out recess 8 formed in the flange 9 of the shell cover 10,. The usual gas` ket vllvis arranged between the flanges @and 9 9 and bolts 12 are used tosecure thetwlO flanges to each other. v v A The tube sheet 13 is provided with the usual tube apertures to 'receive the tubes v14 ofthe .y exchanger; and this tube sheet 13 is made of such diameter that it will pass freely through the shell 1 when the entire nest of tubes is to be Withdrawn for any purpose.

The floating head 15 is enlarged at its periphery, which is shaped to form a flat annular surface 16 for the nuts 17 of the hook bolts 18. The periphery of the floating head is machined to form a flange 19, and bolt apertures 2() are bored through the flattened l0 surfaces 16 so that these apertures have their cylindrical elements flush with the inner face of the flange 19.

The flange 19 is about the same depth as the thickness of th'e tube sheet 13 so that when the tube sheet is seated Within the cap 15, the inner face of the sheet lies substantially flush with the end of the flange 19. The

diameter of the tube sheet 13 is substantiallyy the same as the inner diameter of the flange 19 so that the outer periphery of the tube sheet 13 fits snugly within the flange when the parts are properly assembled.

The bolts 18 have one end turned laterally to form a toe or hook 21 adapted to contact either with the inner face 22 of the tube sheet 13 or with the end 23 of the flange 19.' The other end of the bolt 18 is screw/threaded to receive a nut 17 adapted to be rotated by the usual wrench or Spanner in drawing the floatsheet 13. This bolt 18 is intended to be permanently secured to the floating head 15; 'and is provided with an indicator member 25 suitably fixed to the screwthreaded end of 'the bolt 18. The indicator element 25 has its sides flattened so that a wrench may be applied thereto in order to prevent turning of the bolt 18 while the nut 24 is being rotated thereon.

When the head 15 is removed from the tubo sheet the bolts 18 are turned so that their hook ends 21 and indicators 25 extend radially outward of the floating head. In this outward position, the nuts 24 are tightened up slightly to maintain the bolts 18 so positioned and keep the bolts from sliding loosely in the apertures 20. Before assembling the floating head on a tube sheet, it is necessary that all the bolts be arranged in this manner; that is. with their indicators and hook ends extending outward radially from the floating head. -The circular arrangement of bolts 18 then presents a series of line contact elements adapted to facilitate the sliding movement of the head onto said tube sheet prior to the locking of the same together.

The indicators 25 are of such length that when they are turned radially outward they would contact with the shell vcover 10 and prevent the cover from being secured to the flange 4 of the shell 1. Before this cover can be secured to the shell it is necessary, therefore, that all the bolts be properly turned with their indicators 25 pointing inwardly 65 toward the center of the shell cover or tube ing head up to proper position on the tube sheet, thereby indicating that the hook ends 21 are properly turned for securing the floatin head to the tube sheet.

he same hook-bolt arrangement and method of securing the floating head to the tube sheet can be applied also to securin a test ring 26 to the tube sheet and to the ange 4 of the shell 1. This test ring 26 has a flange 27 similar in every respect to the flange 9 ofthe shell cover 10 and adapted to be sim'- ilarly secured by the same bolts 12. The test ring 26 is in the form of an annulus having a rabbet 28 formed to receive the hook bolts 18 and the tube sheet 13 in the same manner as the floating head receives the same tube sheet 13. By the use of this test ring pressure can be applied on the shell side of the exchanger, and the tube joints in the tube sheet may be then easily inspected for leakage, since the ends thereof are fully exposed. This test ring thus secured may also be used as a jig for rolling the tubes in place.

When it is desired to remove the floating head from the tube sheet, it is merel necessary to slacken the nuts slightly on t e bolts, and then rotate the bolts about their axes until their hook ends lie over the end of the floating head flange. The nuts are then tightened sufliciently to hold the bolts in this position; and the head and bolts can be removed bodily from the tube sheet. It will be apparent that the head, in this condition, is ready to be applied to the tube sheet, without any necessity for handling a lot of loose bolts, and split rings in the manner common i to the prior art. Obviously, this construction saves a great deal of time and labor during the handling of a floating head or test ring incident to assembly or removal of the several parts of the exchanger.

The indicator pointers 25 not only indicate the direction of the hook ends of the bolts, but also prevent the shell cover being applied to the shell until all the bolts are in proper securing position over the tube sheet. In the test ring, their radial positions indicate clearly on the outside of the tube sheet whether or not any of the bolts are in or out of clamping position.

Another decided advantage of this con-l struction resides in the fact that all the work of fastening the floating head or test ring to the tube sheet can be performed from the outside of the tube sheet. This is particularly important in the case of the test ring, whichv from its construction, prevents access to the inside of the tube sheet assembly.

While I have described my invention as embodied in concrete form and as operating in a specific mannerin accordance'with the' provisions of the patent statutes, it should be understood that I do not limit my invention thereto, since various modifications thereof will suggest themselves to those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of lin the annexed claims.

asoman 3. A heat exchanger comprising: a shell, a

' tube bundle, a tube sheet on the ioating end of said bundle, and an annularmember se-` cured to said sheet and shell to close Athe space between the outside periphery of said sheet and the inner periphery of said shell.

4. A disk, a member rabbeted to, form a shoulder seat for the disk and a flangeextending around the periphery of the disk, said flange being substantially equal in depth to the thickness of the disk, L-he'ad bolts extending through said member and said flange, means for rotating the bolts to .move the laterally projecting part of the heads alternatively into contact with one face of said disk or the end of said flange, and means for locking the bolts in either of said positions.

5. A disk, a ring rabbetedto form a shoull der seat for said disk and an annular iiange concentric withsaid disk, 'said flan being substantially equal in depth to the t ickness of said disk, a bolt having a head projecting radially therefrom, means for axially rotating said bolt to move said head alternatively into contact with one face of said sheet. or the end of said ilange, and means for lockingl said bolt with the head in either of said sitions, the first named means forming an and rotatable into and-'out of clamping engagenientr with the said tube sheet, and means for axially rotating said bolts. y

9. A heat exchanger comprising: a shell, a tube bundle therein, a tube sheet onv the floating end of said bundle, a ioating head having a rabbet formed to receive said tube' sheet, a fiange substantially equal in depth .to the thiclmess of said tube sheet, hook bolts permanently mounted in said head and rotatable into and out of clamping engagement with'th'e said tube sheet, means for axially I rotating said bolts, said means also indicating when the bolts are in position to clamp said sheet to the floating head.

10. A heat exchanger comprising: a shell,

a tube bundle therein, a tu e sheet on the floating end of said bundle, a member having an annular recess in which said sheet is seated, and means carried wholly by said member and operable from the outside of said shell and sheet for detachably clamping said member to said tube sheet.

11. A heat exchanger com rising: a shell, a tube bundle therein, a tu sheet on the Iioating end of said bundle, a'member having an annular recess in which said sheet is seated,and means attached to said member and rotatable thereon vfor detachably clamping saidmember to said tubesheet. i

In testimony whereof I alix my si ature.

MELVIN S CK.

indicator to indicate the position of said head.

'6. A bolt comprising a screwthreaded shank a head extending radially from o'ne end oi said shank,'and an indicator extending radially from thg other end of said shank and in the same direction as'the head, and

a nut rotatable on said shank.

7. A heat exchanger compgising: a shell, a tube bundle therein, a tu sheet on the oating end of said bundle, a floating head having a rabbet formed to receive said tube sheet, hook bolts permanently secured to said heads for clamping the head'to said tube sheet, and means on said bolts for indicating when said bolts are in clamping position.

8. A heat exchanger complising: a shell, a tube bundle therein, a tu sheet on the oating end of said bundle, a floatin head having a rabbet formed to receive sai tube sheet, and a lian e substantially`-equal in depth to the thic ess of said tbe sheet @l hook bolts permanently mounted in said hea xiao 

